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Traditional Ecological Knowledge About Dietary and Reproductive Characteristics of Tupinambis merianae and Hoplias malabaricus in Semiarid Northeastern Brazil

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Abstract

Studies have demonstrated the importance of local ecological knowledge (LEK) in informing our scientific knowledge about how species behave in their environment, and such knowledge can help to guide ecological management decisions. The present study aimed to investigate the relationships between LEK and conventional ecological knowledge based on ethnoecological and ecological information about the diet and reproduction of the tegu lizard (Tupinambis merianae) and the tiger fish (Hoplias malabaricus) in two communities in semiarid northeastern Brazil. Information on the diets of the animals was collected via surveys, and information about reproductive characteristics was obtained from semi-structured interviews with people from two communities. In addition, we analyzed the stomach contents of the animals and performed macroscopic analysis on their gonads. The informants did not report different items for the different ontogenetic stages of the two species under study. However, the information they provided about the diets of the animals did largely match the results of our biological analyses.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco – UFRPE) and the Graduate Program in Ecology for support in developing this study. We thank the funding institutions CNPq, FACEPE, and Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES). We also extend our thanks to the managers of the Araripe National Forest (Floresta Nacional do Araripe) for logistical support, and to the communities of Horizonte and Assaré for their receptivity and their willingness to share their knowledge. This paper is contribution P018 of the Rede de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Saberes Locais (REBISA-Network of Research in Biodiversity and Local Knowledge), with financial support from FACEPE (Foundation for Support of Science and Technology) to the project Núcleo de Pesquisa em Ecologia, conservação e Potencial de Uso de Recursos Biológicos no Semiárido do Nordeste do Brasil (Center for Research in Ecology, Conservation and Potential Use of Biological Resources in the Semi-Arid Region of Northeastern Brazil-APQ-1264-2.05/10).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Josivan S. Silva, Ana C. A. El-Deir, Geraldo J. B. Moura & Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque

  2. Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual da Paraiba, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil

    Rômulo R. N. Alves

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  1. Josivan S. Silva
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  2. Ana C. A. El-Deir
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Correspondence to Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque.

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Silva, J.S., El-Deir, A.C.A., Moura, G.J.B. et al. Traditional Ecological Knowledge About Dietary and Reproductive Characteristics of Tupinambis merianae and Hoplias malabaricus in Semiarid Northeastern Brazil. Hum Ecol 42, 901–911 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-014-9698-9

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